1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image communication apparatus as represented by a facsimile machine, connected to a plurality of lines and, more specifically, to an image communication apparatus that sets a communication line for transmission easily with high flexibility. The present invention also relates to an image forming apparatus including such an image communication apparatus.
2. Description of the Background Art
In a facsimile machine communicating image data, it has been a common practice to register address names and numbers as single-touch dials or abbreviated dials to simplify user operation and to prevent misdialing, and to designate an intended destination using the single-touch or abbreviated dial at the time of transmission.
By a facsimile machine shared by a large number of people (for example, a facsimile machine used in an office), many transmissions/receptions are made in a concentrated manner during work hours. Therefore, measures are taken to ease congestion. This is to prevent reception failure of important data as much as possible, when a huge amount of data is being transmitted. As one of such measures, a facsimile machine allowing connection to a plurality of lines has been proposed. In such a facsimile machine connected to a plurality of lines, it is sometimes designated at the time of transmission which of the line is to be used for transmission. For this purpose, an arrangement has been proposed, in which a line to be used for transmission is designated in advance when a single-touch dial or an abbreviated dial is registered, so as to eliminate the necessity of designating the transmission line at the time of transmission. Further, such a facsimile machine additionally allowing simultaneous transmission of one document to a plurality of addresses (broadcast transmission) has been proposed.
In relation to such facsimile machines, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 7-312685 (Document 1) discloses a multi-port simultaneous broadcasting facsimile machine allowing arbitrary distribution of transmission opportunities and reception opportunities. The facsimile machine is a multi-port simultaneous broadcasting facsimile machine that starts broadcast communication, using a plurality of different types of lines and a plurality of channels, to a plurality of destinations through respective lines, including: a use status monitoring unit monitoring the status of use of each line and each channel; an address holding unit having order of input of address information registered for each type of lines; and a control unit reading address information to which transmission has not yet been made with reference to the address holding unit when a line or a channel becomes or is found to be free and starting transmission.
By the facsimile machine, when not-yet-transmitted information of the same type as the type of a free line is registered in the address holding unit, it is possible to transmit the not-yet-transmitted information through the line independent from the registered order of addresses registered in the address holding unit. Therefore, efficient use of lines becomes possible, and the time necessary for simultaneous broadcast can be reduced.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2008-283518 (Document 2) discloses a communication apparatus that can further reduce the trouble of inputting address numbers. The communication apparatus has an abbreviated dialing function by which an address number can be input with smaller number of key input operations, and includes a touch-panel input unit for inputting address numbers. The apparatus is characterized in that, based on address management information registering a plurality of abbreviated dial numbers to be referred to by the abbreviated dialing function, the manner of display on an address input operation window displayed on the touch-panel input unit is controlled. Elements of information registered as the address management information include at least an address number, address name, line type and a search string, for each abbreviated dial number.
By the communication apparatus, it is possible for a less-frequent user to easily designate an address using the touch-panel input unit and for a heavy user to designate an address quickly by inputting an abbreviated number.